


hopes lost and maybe found

by inaworddaicos



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Cruelty, F/M, Friendship, Pain, Unthinkable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-02-18 02:51:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2332574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inaworddaicos/pseuds/inaworddaicos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When an old friend of Felicity's shows up at her door with a big problem, it seems like team arrow is the only solution but at what cost?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reunions

**Author's Note:**

> ok, so I have re-written this a few too many times to count and so i've decided to post it to stop me changing my mind. it could be my confidence or the fact that my glass is now empty. So feel free to make suggestion/criticisms all are welcome. This is a small part of a rather long journey if it continues upon it's current path.

It had been nearly 5 years since I last saw her, and now I’m knocking on the door begging for help. Yes, we were friends in college and I know I should’ve stayed in touch but my husband wouldn’t allow me to associate with any of them. That’s what he called my MIT friends, apparently they encouraged too much free thinking. I guess it interfered with his complete and utter control of my life. It has taken me, 12 months to finally break free and now that I am, he is holding the only person on earth I truly care about hostage in order to get me back. I never considered when I escaped that he would take my little sister, but now that he has I have only one option. Go to the one person I know who can help me, the one person I can trust.  
I have two reason to go to her, the first is that she is the nicest person I have ever known and the second is that she is also the smartest also with her associations, it means she has a better chance of helping me than anyone else on the planet. I feel really guilty involving her in this but my sisters life depends on it. I could just go back but I wouldn’t live long enough to save her. You don’t run out on a man like Michael O’Leary once, let alone live long enough to do it twice. Standing at her door I can feel my heart in my throat and my hands are shaking, back when we were at school I was afraid of nothing. I jumped out of planes, went mountain climbing, led rallies against all sorts of injustices now I fear everything. I can’t sleep unless the light is on and I manage to keep down about 1 meal a week. The rest of the time I rely too much on pills, I jitter and drink way too much coffee.  
As I finally raise my hand to knock, it moves away from me and there stands a man. Not the blonde IT expert I was hoping for but a large framed black man. He smiles but on instinct I back away too scared to speak. I keep going backwards tripping over a small gnome statue and end up on my butt. I’m gone, all shreds of my will power finally dissipating. “Felicity, I think you better get out here.” I hear the man say, but I can barely hear him above the beat of my own heart. 

“what is is it, Digg?” getting to the doorway. 

“oh, my god. Jo is that you?” she says rushing to my side. Her question, pulling my eyes up to her but that’s it, I cant let go of the knees that I have pulled up to my chest or hang onto the breath I’m trying to take. 

“what happened Jo?” she implores me. 

“He took her, he took Lizzie.”

“ Felicity, I think we need to get you’re friend inside. Its very cold out here.” 

I hear what he was saying but i stopped shivering hours ago but I still can't let go, looking down at my hands I can see the mix of white and blue. Not to mention, the clear red line that was now flowing freely from my wrist where I had pulled my hands free just two days ago. I knew I must have looked a sight, gone was the girl who used to be the bell of the ball. The brightest star, here I sat petrified of a man who the old version of me would have considered handsome and perhaps kind by the way he hadn’t tried to rush me.  
“Jo, can you stand?” my only response is a vehement shake of the head. I just can’t move, with a compassionate nod she speaks “ Jo, this is John Diggle. One of my closest friends, can he please carry you inside to get you off the ground.” A voice so loud in my head screams at me ‘NO RUN, RUN NOW’ but the imagine of Lizzie replaces it. I nod, but I begin to shake. Giving the man a look Felicity nods, and I know its only moments till he will be lifting me off the ground. It seems to take him an eternity, but he does it with ease. I shouldn’t be surprised, I know at the moment I am probably not much heavier than you’re average 12 year old. I was never that heavy but the last 12 months has seen my weight dip well below normal. I have also probably dropped more since my escape as food hasn’t exactly been a priority and keeping it down hasn’t really been an option. A look of compassion coming from him, as I actually find myself calming down a little. It’s his eyes really, the only eyes I’ve really seen in the last 2 years, were that of Michaels, cold and cruel and that was on a good day. Felicity, is holding the door open as he carries me through and that’s when I start to feel just how cold I really was. My skin begins to tingle as feeling returns and although it’s not pleasant it’s nice to know I can still feel something. Placing me on a large plush couch, stepping away – I’m sure he’s noticed that my arms still hold my knees like my life depends on it. He however just nods and speaks, “ I’m going to call Oliver and Roy, I think we may need them.” See if you can make her feel a little more comfortable. Looking up I smile what I hope he understands is as close to a thanks that I can do at the moment. I knew it was going to be hard to do this, but I hadn’t expected to freak out even before I got to speak to Felicity. 

That’s when I remember Johns face from Michaels files, John Diggle former soldier bodyguard to Oliver Queen. It was those files that saved my life, I found them on one of the few days I had been left alone inside the house, Michael and his organisation were planning to make a move in Starling City and taking over QC had been part of the plan. Killing the CEO and his team had been part of the plan but then all hell broke loose in Starling and Michael and his associates had been forced to push back their plans. It had however, given me an amazing amount of hope to see my old friend in his photo’s, not his plans for her though. I swore a long time ago I’d sooner die than let Michael hurt anyone else, so my plan now would have to be two-fold. Save Lizzie and keep Felicity safe but I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be the only one that valued her safety above all else.


	2. Recollection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just a quick chapter that sets the scene for the revelations and explanations that are about to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, so i've written 3 different chapters that follow this one. Each takes it in a totally different direction, so the next will follow shortly as i am about to force myself to take the leap.

I’m not sure how long it’s been since I was carried inside but I have finally managed to let go of my legs and actually sit resting them on the ground. A small cup of tea in my hands and I look up to see three man standing in the door way, they aren’t saying anything yet, there seems to be a level of understanding in their eye’s. It is only then that I realise that I haven’t actually spoken since being brought inside, “I’m ready. I can talk now.”

Not sure if they actually believe me let alone if I believe it myself, but I will have to be. “please take a seat I’m not great with people standing above me.” I say speaking in a shaky voice, noticing that Felicity has just stayed next to me calmly holding my hand. What sort of world does she live in where this whole scene doesn’t send her in a panic I think remembering the girl I once knew. However, the files I found showed me something else.It mentioned a number of near death experiences and the rescuing of quite a few people, so maybe she understood a little too well. Hopefully we can find a way to save each other. The men now sitting on the floor in front of me have positioned themselves as far from me as they can while still being close enough to hear me. If this wasn’t so serious I probably would laugh, in fact 6 years ago I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself, but here I sit full of darkness and remorse. I begin to speak.

* * *

 

 

Digg’s POV.

I was just heading out, Felicity and I having finally decided on a plan to get Lyla to agree marry me again, I was excited but nervous. A woman is about to knock as I open the door but seeing me she cowers away, a look of absolute terror fills her face. She seems kind of familiar but she’s not anyone I know but more like a ghost of someone I’d seen once. After hitting the floor, she wraps herself up in a ball shaking, crying silently – I know the symptoms having seen it too many times.

“Felicity, you better get out here” I call, not wanting to get too close to this clearly terrified woman. Rushing to the woman’s aid the minute she comes through the door, it’s clear I was right this was no stranger. “Jo, is that you?” and with that I know where I’ve seen her before , how I know her face but she’s clearly not the same woman I had seen in Felicity’s photo’s. In every photo she’d had the brightest smile on her face and flowing blonde hair not complete without at least one bright colour streaking through it. Her happy and open smile, and the outrageous stories I’d heard made me think of her as a more outgoing, louder version of Felicity not the broken creature in front of me.

My heart breaks I’m not sure what’s happened to her but I can tell that that woman is long gone. In front of us is not the victim of a single attack more someone released from a prison but who’s mind may not yet be out of it. Felicity told me once that Jo had helped her become the woman she was. Trembling with such ferocity I can feel it through the floor boards, holding her legs so tightly I can see the veins popping in her arms. Blood is running from her wrists, clearly cut deep from restraints and her arms are peppered with so many bruises that she’s she’s more purple and orange than anything else. Hands marks clearly visible and the tell tale indentations on her neck also show she has been through hell and back. I don’t know why she is here, but I do know that if she wants help I’m in and I’m pretty sure I know of at least 2 other men likely to back me up.


	3. Meet the monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> have changed this one a little

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, this is probably one of the darkest of the 3 directions I could have taken our characters. I however believe it's necesssary for Jo's development to show just how bad things were but also why she's not completely unsaveable. She still cares in spite of everything that has happened to her. So don't hate me and I promise there is a reason for why I've gone this direction, I'm just not sure if even I know what it is yet.

Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes for just a second, “I’m not sure where to start and I’m not sure if any of you apart from Felicity, even know who I am. So let me start at the beginning. I’ll answer any questions at the end, don’t stop me because I’m not sure how long I can hold it together. “ looking around at the group “ if I stop I may not be able to continue. “ I see sincere nodding and I feel the vice which has been around my heart loosen, why is it that it this lounge room surrounded by three men I’ve never met before in my life I feel safer than I’ve ever felt before. Of course before Michael I never thought about safety, guess you don’t know what you have till it’s taken away. “ My name is Joanna Mulroney, well technically its O’Leary and that’s my problem. I went to MIT with Felicity here” gently squeezing her hand and nodding in her direction “in my last year I met a man. Handsome, brilliant and rich.”

“ Not in your league Oliver, but wealthy none the less. After graduation we went on a tour of Europe and that’s when my life ended. He asked me to marry him, stupidly I said yes. The first two weeks were great, but then I made the mistake of talking to a male friend on the phone. He accused me of cheating and beat me into unconsciousness.” The looks on their faces harden, I can see the anger just below the surface, anger that should scare me but I can also see their compassion which is something I’d long ago given up on ever seeing again. “Now I know, that’s when most abused women say how their husbands apologise and promise that they will never do it again. Well I wasn’t that lucky, I woke up in a gilded cage but I got no apology. No consideration about what happened. I simply got informed that this is the way it would be. I would never have freedom again, there was no carrot just the stick. He explained to me that he owned me, he owned my designs and that I would be his personal technical assistant. 

If he needed a computer program designed, I would do it. If he needed a weapon designed, it would be done. At first I resisted and found out very quickly that he wasn’t afraid to hurt me. It was then I found out just how cruel he could be. In the first year alone, he broke every bone on my right hand and my left leg twice.” A gasp escapes Felicity’s lips and squeezing I continue before doubt can take hold. “You should understand I was lucky in one way, Michael had zero interest in me sexually or it could have been worse. Once the abuse started, all vestiges of our relationship were gone. I however, wasn’t so easy to break. One year into….. I should say marriage but it was more enslavement, I was able to get word to an old friend that I was in trouble. He came to see me and Michael flipped. I’m not talking yelling, screaming any of that normal type of reaction. I was dragged down the stairs and thrown at my friends feet. His name was Steven McNaughton.” To my right Felicity shudders, and I know she remembers him. I can also see that the men in the room notice her reaction. “ He gave me this look and it wasn’t one of anger, it was pleasure. That was when I noticed the gun in his hand and the upturn of his lips as he pulled the trigger, the bullet going straight between Stevens eye’s. His next move was to shoot me first in the left leg and then to my right hip.”  
“Do you know where he put the body?” Felicity asks and I understand why but I also know that the men don’t.  
Shaking my head “ I wish I did. The last I saw of him was when of Michaels men carrying his body outside while the in house doctor started to remove the bullets. Which he did without anaesthetic. The pain only stopped when I passed out, when I came to he made it clear to me that any repeat wouldn’t result in further injuries but in my death. In all honesty I didn’t care but that’s when he showed me photo’s. They weren’t of me though, it was of my little sister. I couldn’t believe it, they showed her in her high school uniform crying and then he gave me a police report. It said that there had been a break in at my parents place and my father had been attacked. He had been shot twice once in the leg and once in the hip.” Realisation showing in their faces “ He told me next time, like the last my family would suffer matching wounds and with that he had found my weakness.  
Over the next few years he brought in young very pretty girls, their job was to clean the house and cook the food” closing my eye’s and taking a deep breath “ they were also to become my surrogate sisters. If I did anything he didn’t like it wasn’t me that suffered. Mia, she was the first one. She lasted 8 months and I did everything he asked. I hacked every government agency on the planet, or at least I sat next to his lackeys and told them step by step what to do. There was no way I was actually going to be allowed to touch a keyboard, I built him over 2 billion dollars in patented weapons but that wasn’t enough.  
In the end all it took was one broken coffee cup. A coffee cup! Mia was cleaning the down stairs office and I heard it from my room, but I was strapped down and couldn’t do anything. Not to miss out on the opportunity to hurt me, he turned on the TV above the bed. Over the next 24 hours I watched through closed eye’s as he tortured her first mentally, then sexually finally he beat her. By the time her body finally gave, I was gone. The rational part of my brain knows that was her purpose all along, it was why he got her in the first place but logic and I weren’t friends for quite a while. It was so, he could show me my future. He left me tied to the bed for what I think was a week after that but I’m not really sure. The next girl Eva was the one to untie me, she came in barely 5 foot tall big blue eye’s and maybe fifteen years old. I say maybe because actual conversation was strictly forbidden. The clothes he’d given her to wear were designed to shock. It was the same skirt and top I was wearing on the beach the day we were married, they didn’t show much particularly on her slight frame but I could see the bruises and the way she walked. Her eye’s were still puffy from crying and my heart broke again. Eva lasted only 2 months, she didn’t die at his hands but instead I found her one morning on the kitchen floor wrists slit and a small piece of paper in her hand. It simply read ‘I’m sorry’ and all I could remember thinking was maybe I should do this. Take me own life, save those I love by giving in but I couldn’t help but think that it wouldn’t stop him. He enjoyed it too much and my little sister looks just like me, is also a computer tech which he constantly reminded me about and was so sweet. I couldn’t do it to her. So I cried and prepared for what was to come next and he didn’t disappoint. I know it took all the doctors skill to bring me back and every time I’d recover he’d do it again. He’s a particular fan of strangulation and I know my trachea has permanent damage as do my vocal chords.” Looking Felicity in the eyes “I’m sure you’ve noticed my voice is a little lower” I give her a slight smile” and then the third girl came. She was 14 and the sweetest child I had ever met, but he didn’t hurt her at first. He knew my mind was starting to fracture and it was my mind that he needed. So we struck a deal, he’d take his anger out on me and she’d be safe. Not free but safe. Suzie stayed that way for 12 months, I took the beatings and she helped me recover. It didn’t take her long to realise that I was protecting her and she was brave. One day he was about to kill me, he had wanted me to cause an explosion just out of Central City but I refused. Not cos I couldn’t but a lot of people would have died and I’m no killer, at least I wasn’t. So the program I’d written to do it had hidden encryption, it sent an email to Waller and warned her to protect my family and showed her to countermand my programs. My family was safe and I was ready to die. I knew it could and probably would mean Suzie’s death as well but that many lives, I couldn’t.” The horror at my confession clearly showing on their faces and I know this is where I could stop but this is a tale I will tell once and this is my audience.  
“Michael showed me the news stories about Suzies body being found just 2 doors from her grand mothers house and I can honestly tell you that was the last straw for both of us. Since then, he hasn’t had a single piece of tech from me and not a program but I didn’t have any freedom after that. If I wasn’t in my bedroom I was escorted by two men, I don’t even know if it was the same two men. Their instructions were simple NO SPEAKING AND NO TOUCHING and they always wore glasses and masks. The last one pretty grateful for because I know that at least one of them had plans for me that were less than pleasurable. The fact that he was always on bathroom duty let me know where his intentions lay. He just knew that like me, he was always being watched and I’m pretty sure that Michael just wanted to see me squirm, whenever I’d get too comfortable or too healthy another round of beatings would begin.”

“I know I don’t seem too affected by my experiences and the truth is I’m just not here. My panic attack earlier is probably the most emotion I’ve shown in two years and I know this is all just the calm before the storm. I wont last long and I’m trying to explain what I can, while I can. Once I go down that path again, I’m not sure I’ll be able to come back and I can’t be certain that I’ll want to. So 12 months ago everything changed, I had actually been left home alone, well there was no-one inside the house and for some reason I had freedom to wander around. He had plans to take over QC, he had folders on each of you.They contained an awful lot of personal information and his evaluation was clear. He couldn’t take QC while you each lived and breathed, so he’d sentenced you to death.”  
“Death sentence, what do you mean?” Oliver Asked, then as if he remembered my earlier request, he apologised. “Sorry, continue.”  
“it’s ok Oliver, it’s easy to forget that you don’t know Michael. Let’s just say I’m not the only one he likes to torture, he takes over companies that are either in receivership or probate. His plan included the death of the entire Queen family, Felicity and Roy. He also had a special plan for you” nodding to the big man opposite” here as he believed that it would be necessary to take him out in order to get to the rest of you. His men were already here so I sent an anonymous tip to A.R.G.U.S. and they were taken out.”  
“ I’m not telling you this so that you will feel obligated just so you know how far he will take things. Michael didn’t let me out of my bedroom for 6 months after that and he didn’t even know I was responsible for his failure, I was just a convenient outlet for his frustrations. In truth I couldn’t have left my room even if I’d wanted to, he kept me with at least one broken limb for that entire time. Right leg, left leg, he didn’t care and I was just lucky that the doctor is worth every penny he pays him or I doubt I could even stand right now. When Starling went all to hell and he considered it a lucky escape and the last 6 months were pretty good, I got to heal and he left me alone but then I found out why. He had another young cleaning girl from Russia, he had once again replaced me as his favourite whipping girl. She’s 16 and so sweet. After Suzie I swore I wouldn’t let him hurt anyone else and so I finally got the courage to escape. Two weeks ago I hacked his security system and I got her out. She’s hidden but he caught up with me in Central City. I was on my way here and was about to jump the train when his men found me.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, will have to say this story has taken a long time to update and I think i may now be happy with where it's going but don't count on it. This particular chapter has been re written a hundred or so times or maybe it just feels that way.

“I remember being handcuffed and being dragged onto the plane. I escaped by opening the doors at 15000 feet and using the parachute hidden in an above seat compartment. It’s funny because I actually pulled the door before remembering there would be a chute on board, when I landed I found out that my little sister had been abducted. I thought they were safe but he got past Waller’s men and took her.  
I rang my parents and they told me, they don’t know it was Michael who took her and I hope that I wont have to tell them. I expect to hear from him soon, I just cant do it alone. I was hoping you could help me.”  
“ of course, but how do you think we can help you?” Oliver said a clear uneasiness in his voice.  
“that’s just it, I know a lot about you all. No specific’s but I do know about lets just say your extra curricular activities.” They all openly gasp and for the first time in all our conversation Felicity is the one to tense up.  
“Was it in your husbands files?” Oliver asks, neither confirming or denying what they all knew she was talking about.  
“No, he’d done his research but it was actually when I hacked into A.R.G.U.S. in order to hide where my tip came from I had to send it internally and tag files on you. I’d actually thought I would have to create the files then tag them, turns out they have a lot of info on all of you. I didn’t read any specific mission related files but since they were all under tag : team arrow. It didn’t take an genius to figure out the rest.”  
“So why not just let us know directly?”  
“I went to A.R.G.U.S. because I designed their network when I was at MIT and getting in it was like riding a bike, I already had Waller protecting my family I couldn’t count on a second favour. Where as any other system would be a lot more difficult as I’m more than a little rusty when it comes to hacking. I knew I wouldn’t have much time with Michaels computer and it took me over half an hour just to break through the encryption, just to use it. ”  
“ but you said you were alone.”  
“I was alone but I didn’t know how long for and he thought the house was safe to leave me in. It had no tv in the house and only radio, no technology really. His computer, which he believed was un-hackable even to me was the only part of the modern world in the house. I haven’t seen a movie, watched a tv show or heard music in 5 years. I was able to read books in paper back and he let me keep up to date with newspapers and periodicals it helped to keep me sane but hasn’t helped keep me up to date with the changing face of I.T.”  
“but why did Michael keep you around doesn’t sound like he really wanted you. Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh.” Roy spoke for the first time, making me smile with his frankness.  
“he needs me alive for patent signings, see even though I refused to keep working. He still has all my designs from the first two years and they will continue to make a lot of money for a long time come. See he has blown through his families money and now most of his financial assets are mine, he just has access to them because we’re married. If I die or disappear an investigation would take place and more importantly he would have to share the money with the rest of my family. He doesn’t like to share.”  
“So how much are your patents worth?”  
“Around 10 billion dollars.” I see their faces drop and I can see them begin to understand why I’m still breathing albeit a little too shallowly.  
“So that’s a lot of money to lose out on and in the event of my death he would only get half of what he gets now. So better alive than dead, at least till I escaped. Now he has my baby sister and he will want me to come back to him.”  
“ Do you think he will hurt her?”  
“Most definately hopefully not at first but he will eventually. The sooner I get her back the better, I’d walk through the gate right now if I thought it would save her.”  
“you don’t think he’d let her go.”  
“i think she’s too good a leverage against me, he knows I’d do anything to protect her.He knows I already have.”  
“so what do you want to do?”  
“I’ll go back but I need you to get us out before I get killed?”  
“YOU CAN’T!!!!!” Felicity yelled  
“I don’t have a choice.” I replied putting my hand on Felicity’s arm. “ if I don’t go, we wont find her or she’ll be dead by the time we find her. So I don’t have a choice, I have to go.”  
“ I’m sorry but love you were a mess not an hour a go, how on earth are you going to face him?”  
“I wont be doing it without help, I have a drug combo that will help keep me lucid, a drug that I’m not using right now and a drug that I will need to get out of my system as soon as this is all over.”  
“ So what your saying is, this drug is not good for you?”  
“exactly but it will help me get through this, but I don’t care if you have to strap me to a table a forcibly put me through a minimum of 96 hour withdrawal. I will need you to do it because I’m not sure I’ll be able to go off it again.”  
“what do you mean again?”  
“it’s how I got out and I’ve also been using a milder version of it for 12 months but the current combo shuts down my entire emotional response. However, it’s too strong and not healthy, moments like you saw earlier are the down side of coming down. It will be painful to watch and I will swear to you that I need the drug to function and in truth I may for quite a long time but I refuse to you understand. I’m not sure how I’ll come out the other side or if I even will, I big dose was bad a second dose will be worse. “  
“cant you do it without then?”  
“No besides I took that decision out of my hands. I have a time release capsule in my stomach, it will begin to take effect in about 6 hours and then I will have 48 hours of positive effects before I start to go into withdrawal. After that I will rotate between physical symptoms and emotional ones, I may start trembling, have a fever, my blood pressure will sky rocket one minute plummet the next and my heart rate will fluctuate. I will be all over the place and don’t be surprised if I am the patient from hell and if you can I ask that you keep me out of the public eye.”  
“what about your family?”  
“especially my family I don’t care if you lock me in a basement somewhere I’d rather they not see me going through this.. I know I’m asking a lot but that’s all I can do, in 12 hours I will ring Michael and hand myself over. I will try to get out but I know without your help I will not succeed.”  
“is there anything you can do to help us?” Oliver asked, clearly understanding a little better than the others why I had taken the decision out of their hands.  
Reaching into my pockets and handing Felicity a USB drive and a phone “ everything I know is on these, now I really need a shower before I crash again. It’s coming and its best I’m tucked away when it does.  
“ I’ll show you and get you some clothes. They’ll be a little big but they should feel better.” Felicity said walking me upstairs, “is there anything else I can do?”  
“just save Lizzy, ok. If it’s a choice between me and her, know I’ll pick her every time.”  
Smiling glumly, Felicity nodded and pointed to the bathroom. “ everything you need is in there, come down when you’re done.”

Walking down the stairs Felicity could hear Digg on the phone “thanks, hun. Let me know what you find out.” Hanging up, he walked towards the two other men in the lounge room, as Felicity joined them he begun to speak. “Well everything she said checks out I didn’t tell Lyla why I was asking about her but apparently her husband is a piece of work. Lyla has met him a couple of times and she say’s he is an arrogant so and so and if his wife hadn’t developed most of ARGUS’s systems he would be on Weller’s list of dirt bags. So if we get her and her sister free of him I’m sure ARGUS will take care of the rest.”  
“that’s good to know but I have a problem with sending someone so fragile into an unknown situation.” Oliver spoke up looking Felicity in the eyes.  
“I know Oliver and she is so different from the person I used to know but one things the same, her family is everything to her and I’m sure she’ll hold together especially if this drug is half as powerful as she says. It scares me though” looking around at the boys “ the Jo I used to know was the most emotionally driven person I have ever met. She was intensely loyal, heart on her sleeve open, the most energetic person in the room and quite a flirt. I’m not sure what to make of this version but I feel like she’s still in there somewhere. It at least explains why she didn’t help us with Slade last summer.”  
“you asked her for help?”  
“I sent her an encrypted email that I knew only she would understand but got no reply. I guess her husband wasn’t as clever as he thought.”  
Handing Felicity the USB stick, Oliver spoke. “Can you pull up everything on this and see what we are up against?”  
“Sure, just let me grab my other laptop. One without access to Arrow central.”  
“Don’t you trust her?”  
“I do but she’s changed and I prefer to be a little cautious.”  
“that’s fair enough.”  
15 minutes later, after going through all the information it was clear what they were up against. A freshly showered Jo appears wearing the pants and bra that Felicity had leant her, the bright shirt in her hand. Confusion on her face, Felicity asked “Doesn’t it fit?”  
“no, it will but I need you guys to do something first. Do you have a first aid kit?”  
“sure, what do you need?”  
“on my back I have some stitches, I would really like them removed and I also need you to remove the tracking device from my hip.”  
“tracking device?”  
“yes Michaels way of knowing where I am every minute, he just forgot that I also developed the technology so the signal is currently scrambled.”  
During the conversion Oliver had disappeared to the kitchen where Felicity kept one the many first aid kits in her home “so where d’you want me?” turning around giving the guys their first look at her back. If Felicity had been shocked by Jo's front her back was so much worse. Felicity felt her heart break as she saw her friends once smooth skin reduced to what looked like an etcher-sketch gone nuts, there were scars all over , some clearly really old some still pink and from her right shoulder blade to her left hip one long line of stitches it had clearly been relatively deep and given Felicity’s new found knowledge of scars and the weapons that created them she could tell this was caused by a sword. Smooth edges and the straight line, showing it was ready for them to be removed. “how’d that happen?”  
“I didn’t laugh at his joke.” She said matter of a factly. “in my defence it wasn’t funny.”  
“he did that because you didn’t laugh at a joke.” Roy asked.  
“No he did it because he could, that was just what he said it was for. Not sure how many stitches there are but I’m pretty sure it will take you some time. How about I sit against this chair and I’m sure you’ll be able to get to the chip there too.”, she said sitting reverse on the dining chair with her arms resting on it’s back.  
“Do you care who does it?”  
“No, but I think maybe do the chip first, it needs to be destroyed before his people hack into it.”  
Digg grabbing scalpel, gauze, antiseptic and a suture kit sat on the chair behind her while Felicity and the others stood to her right.  
“Ok, where is it?” Digg asked.  
“about 2 inches above my right hip towards the back, you should be able to feel it. It’s about the size of a quarter.”  
“Do you want some pain killers?” Oliver asked though somehow he already knew the answer.  
“No, pain and I are old friends, besides I’ll need to keep my head clear as possible. I think the drugs have entered my system anyway.”  
“you mean they’re already active?”  
“yeah, I seem to be calming down way too quickly and I think it’s best we hurry.”  
It was a long and slow process as Digg removed the chip from her hip and then set about removing the 52 stitches, there had been little to no blood loss and as he pulled the final stitch through, he gave a sigh. “you’re done.“  
It was then that he realised that Jo had actually fallen asleep while he doing it, her arms locked into place on the back of the chair, signalling to the others they walked into the kitchen. “So this tracker Felicity, is it dead?”  
“yep, and it’s good that it’s been pulled out. It so rusty, why would he put such an old model in her.”  
“I’d say, the rusting was a plus not a negative as far as he was concerned Felicity and I’d be betting that it was in there so long that he didn’t realise it was still working.”  
“then why was Jo so worried about it?”  
“because she knew it was.”  
“ her back has more scars than you?” she said to Oliver, “I know and that worries me.”  
“if this guy has her sister I can’t imagine he’ll wait long to take out his vengeance on her.”  
“So do you think she’ll wake up soon, or did she pass out.”  
“I think she’s sleeping. I’d say this is the first time she’s felt truly safe in a long time.”  
“but she doesn’t know us.” Roy said looking through the opening towards her and then he looked at Felicity and he understood. Even in his worst moment he’d felt safe with her around, even when he didn’t feel he was safe to be around. Hearing movement he noticed that she was starting to stir, and he went to walk back in before realisingthat she may be a little disorientated upon waking, fear came across her eyes but then it was gone. “it’s ok, I’m back.” She said noticing his inner turmoil. “you sure?”  
“not used to sleeping much, so is it all done?”  
“yep, stitch and tracker free.”  
“good, so how bad was it?” Looking at them  
“the tracker?”  
“yeah, I guess it had started to rust.”  
“how’d you know?”  
“as I said I designed it.”sighing “ it was supposed to be for ARGUS for short term tracking of agents not long term insertion and mines been in for 4 years. Way longer than the 3 month recommendation.”  
“oh, but it was still working?”  
“yep but Michael thought it stopped working 12 months ago. He just left it in hoping it would make me sick.”  
“so he couldn’t have tracked it?”  
“oh he could have, if he knew or if he had someone like Felicity working for him. Lucky he never thought she was a threat to him.”  
“what do you mean? She wasn’t a threat.”  
“see in college I was the loud genius, Felicity was the quiet achiever. As a programmer, no-one could get near her but she never let anyone know. When she hacked it was under the name Oracle, and most people thought that was me. My actual handle was Cypher but she was more than happy to let people think other wise. Didn’t you?” Jo said lifting her eyes at the blonde in question.  
“of course, hey I was on a scholarship and I really needed it. We cant all make our first million before our 12th birthday.”  
“you made your first million before you turned 12?”  
“yeah, was one of those challenges set by a certain tech company that shall remain nameless. Lets just say they said their new system was un-hackable and so set a challenge. I broke into it, within 24 hours of its release and I think they were a little embarrassed by my age. So they doubled the payment and part of that was my silence, if handing out a payment wasn’t bad enough paying someone not yet in their teens was worse. My parents retired and I kept quiet.”  
“but why did they think you were Oracle if that was Felicity?”  
“you see I was Oracle but in a drunken night she challenged me to a hack off. Neither of us needed money, we shared all our clothes and so we needed a prize. If I won she had to make me a coffee everyday for a year. If she won she got to pick new names for us to use. Lets just say I didn’t win and instead of new names we swapped, she never did make me a coffee either. Just no-one knew.”  
“good to see I’m not the only one she wont make coffee for?” Oliver said smirking.  
“yeah, we shared an apartment for 2 years and I think she made the coffee like three times and I’m pretty sure that was just because she knew she wouldn’t get one otherwise.”  
That’s when Felicity noticed that Jo was smiling, which seemed odd if the drugs had actually kicked it. “you sure the drugs have kicked in? I thought you said no emotions.”  
“you’re right and I did. I was wrong, it hasn’t kicked in, you’ll be able to tell trust me, when it does it will be obvious I guess I’ve just relaxed. When it kicks in I’ll be the most sedate version of myself and if you’ll be able to tell don’t worry.”  
“but how can you be calm and relaxed. Hell, you fell asleep while Digg removed a 1000 stitches.” Roy exclaimed.  
Smiling, Jo Answered “Roy, I fell asleep because I’m physically exhausted and there wasn’t exactly 1000 stitches. Yes, I understand your confusion but I am in a room with people I trust, implicitly. Sounds odd since I just met you three but I know Felicity and I trust her more than anyone in my life. She trusts you guys the same way, so I feel the same way. In my mind I know I probably shouldn’t. The truth is I can’t explain why, but apart from my initial freak out I haven’t felt this relaxed in 5 years, so I’m kind enjoying it. It’s a false high I know, I will have a lot to deal with if I live through this but I don’t care. I have control over my life for the first time in a long time and if I die, I die free. So whatever happens I thank you all, but my life is secondary to my sisters. She is an innocent 21 year old who has her whole life ahead of her and innocence and I parted company a long time ago. I do have to do something before we go any further. Felicity, can I borrow a computer for about half an hour, I have to set up a couple of fail safe’s.”  
“Sure, use this one. Is there anything I can do to help.” Handing the laptop in her hands over to her, and giving her a serious look.  
“No, but when I’m done I’ll need you guys to sign some things ok.”  
Over the next hour the guys rotated through the kitchen as Jo sat at the kitchen typing feverishly away on the laptop, even Felicity had no idea what Jo was doing but she was pretty sure that it was illegal.  
“Guys, can you all come in here please.”  
Streaming in they found, a huge pile of paperwork spread out across the table. Clearly Jo had gained access to Felicity’s printer.  
“What’s this?”  
“I’m giving you guys controlling interest in my company.”  
“WHAT!!!!!” Felicity said in her LOUD voice.  
“it’s only in the event of my death because I need someone to protect the rest of my family.”  
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”  
“I know but if this all goes to hell, my husbands only way to get to my money will be over my families dead bodies a price he will be more than happy to pay and he has the contacts to pull it off.”  
After signing the paperwork and reading through it, Felicity stopped on the last page. “Wait, this doesn’t happen in the event of your death. We will be major share holders even if you live.”  
“I know.”  
“but you said.”  
“I’m giving you guys 51 percent of my company because I’m telling you that once I come down from this second dose. It’s best that I don’t have access to the billions of dollars, I will be on a stipend and you will be able to return it to me once I’m free of Michael and any side effects.”  
“what if we don’t think you're ever ready.”  
“then spend it wisely, maybe donate proceeds to charity. I don’t know, you could always use it to say fund a masked vigilante and his team”  
“you can’t do that.”  
“yes I can.”  
“but why?”  
“Felicity, I’m not trying to scare you but when these drugs take over I am going to be a whole different person a cold as ice bitch who only cares about getting the job done which is what I will need. This drug is an extreme version of the drug I’ve been self medicating with for a long time. It’s the only thing Michael has let me use because it helps me concentrate and as such design I guess he was hoping I’d become more pliable but I took an overdose to get out and spent 3 days locked in a hellish nightmare once I escaped. Now I’ve taken a second overdose.  
I plan on coming completely off it, I have no idea how screwed up I’ll be and I’m pretty sure that I’m not going to be helped if I can live the life of a spoiled billionaire. I was a pretty big fan of alcohol before my marriage if you remember and now I know I will really have a reason to drink. I’m sure I will and to excess but the last thing I will need is the ability to fly all over the world. I expect to need help and I hope you can give it, but mostly I will need you to protect me from me. I’m giving you guys the money because Felicity is the only person clever enough to keep the money from me if I decide” using hand gestures “I’m fine” smiling a smile that was more like a grimace “I know I’m asking way too much and the responsibility of my money is probably a step too far but I don’t know who I’ll be on the other side of this. I could be a good guy but I could also be a bad guy, and I cant have my finances going to the dark side even if I do.”  
“how could you be a bad guy, Jo. I know you.”  
“Felicity, I don’t even know who I’ll be. I have carried out a lot of tests on the medication I’ve been taking and lets just say once in withdrawal the subjects lose a large degree of perspective. The last 5 years have been what I can only explain as hell, but I haven’t really dealt with any of it because I’ve been self medicating. I also know from my tests that these particular chemicals will hit toxic levels in less than 6 months because of these 2 overdoses. So staying on them is not an option. The drugs levels in my blood stream are already having an effect on my body and my mind, I have lost an average of 3 kilo’s a month for 2 years. I haven’t had the ability keep an entire meal down for a year, my vision has gone from 20/20 to what I’d guess is about 10/20. I haven’t had a period in 12 months, but then I guess everything has a silver lining, and I’ve lost the ability to keep my balance if my eye’s are closed, these are all symptoms of some pretty serious things going on in my body and I’m pretty sure it will take me a long time to recover. This is why I’m not scared to die, I may already be dead but I’m not going without a fight.”  
“Felicity, my body has been through hell and back in the last 5 years. It has been broken more times than I care to admit and just to get through them I’ve taken a dangerous concoction of chemicals just to get through the day. I don’t know how much they have effected my body or more importantly my mind and I wont until it is completely out of my system. What I do know is I’ll be lucky if I make it out of this little rabbit hole unscathed. It’s is s very dangerous thing Felicity to not have anything to live for but I’m sure some of you know what that’s like.” She said looking Oliver in the eyes, who simply nodded and took a seat.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Jo find some common ground and the plan moves forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not completely sure about his chapter, it may get some tweaking later on.

Oliver found Jo sitting at the kitchen table, she seemed to be having a staring contest with the glass in her hands. He knew that look and as bad as everything that Jo had told them that she had been through was, he was pretty sure that she had left an awful lot out. Certain that like himself it hurt way to much to share. For someone though who trust didn't come easy to, he felt a bond with her. Not an attraction, though he was sure that given 12 months to recover and maybe an extra 15 kilo's she would be gorgeous it was a deeper bond than that like she was the one person who would truly understand some of the things he'd been through. Of course his friends didn't judge him neither for his silence or his actions, they hadn't been there. She clearly had, but unlike him she'd suffered the unimaginable at the hands of the man she'd chosen to give her heart to. That level of betrayal would be difficult to overcome.

 

"Penny, for your thoughts?" he said sitting down.

 

 

"I was just wondering where my life went wrong?"

 

 

"I think that's a far bigger question than you've got time to spend on it?" Grinning

 

 

"thanks! And here I thought you were the nice one." Smirking she told him

 

 

"No you didn't."

 

 

"You're probably right? So tell me. Does it get easier?"

 

 

"You mean talking to people?"

 

 

"It's like I'm the only one talking and everyone is afraid that if they interrupt me I'll breakdown."

 

 

"I can't tell you it gets easier but if you find someone who you can talk to without needing to say anything. Then hang on to them like your life depends on it."

 

 

"You mean like you and my girl over there." getting a glimpse of Felicity as she walked across the lounge room to where Diggle and Roy were examining the blue prints.

 

 

"They are my world, she's just the center of it."

 

 

"Does she know that?"

 

 

"Yes and No."

 

 

"Fair enough. Oliver, I have a plan and I need someone to come in with me. I'd like it to be you, do you understand why?"

 

 

"My good looks!" he said grinning.

 

 

"Yeah that's it." shaking her head, but he had got what he wanted as a small smile appeared on her face. " if you come in, Michael will be so busy salivating that Oliver Queen has come to him he may be a little more careless. Which is to say, he may make a mistake which is very uncharacteristic of him. He wont see you as any sort of threat, except to his precious male ego. Plus if it hit's the fan as I expect it to, you have a chance of getting my sister out."

 

 

"But how will you explain my presence?"

 

 

"Felicity."

 

 

"Of course he knows you're friends even he thinks she's just a glorified secretary now."

 

 

"exactly."

 

 

"he'll think I've stupidly gone to one of the men he wants to kill. Brought him another victim without realizing it."

 

 

"I still wont be able to go in armed so it could be tough."

 

 

"that's not completely true."

 

 

"What are you thinking?"

 

 

"I'm thinking that his people came awful close to breaking my arm, don't you think." getting up from the table, she took 2 steps back and slammed it down on the edge of the table. The tell tale sound of breaking bones, almost turning Oliver's stomach which was something with all the things he'd seen and done..

 

"Jo!!!" grabbing her arm. " What the hell was that for?"

 

 

"We need a plaster on this arm, and this is the best way to get it."

 

 

"Digg, could've just made one you know."

 

 

"It's not about the plaster Oliver. It's about being seen getting the plaster. At a real hospital with a certain playboy prince, so that when you show up with me and my arm in a sling it doesn't seem so strange. And we don't have long."

 

 

"You mean the drugs are actually kicking in this time."

 

 

"I do. C'mon I just broke my own arm on impulse Oliver. Even I know that's fucked up."

 

 

"I'm kind of liking being the normal one in this little partnership. Does that make me a bad person."

 

 

"No, it just shows how off kilter I really am." a forced grin on her face, but he could tell the light never really reached her eye's.

 

 

"Felicity." Oliver yelled.

 

 

"Yeah." came from the other room.

 

 

"We have to take your crazy friend to the hospital."

 

 

"Why?'

 

 

"Oh nothing serious she just broke her arm."

 

 

"You kidding me right."

 

 

"He's not love, so if you don't mind can we hit the road."

 

 

Felicity came out and she could tell just by looking something was different about Jo, she was standing taller. Gone was the slump in the shoulders, she would have been happy had she not known the real reason for the transformation. Plus Oliver just said that Jo broke her own arm, this wasn't good.

 

"So you two care to explain?"

 

 

"on the road, time is precious. Time to set the scene for Mr. Personality."

 

 

"You mean Michael."

 

 

"that I do, lets go." Jo said leading the way to the door. She held her left arm, with her right but showed no sign of pain and although Oliver said nothing Felicity could tell he too was a little freaked out by this sudden turn of events.

 

The car ride was silent and tension filled the air. Having, left Roy and Digg at Felicity's to work out the rest of the plan so it was just Oliver and Felicity in the car with Jo who had simply written out list for Digg to get while they were gone. He read it, gave her the old 'what the' look but she simply shrugged and said please. Felicity was livid, when Jo said she would different she thought she understood. Boy, was she wrong. First of all. There were no tears, Jo had a broken arm and she was acting like she had simply broken a finger nail, c'mon this was ridiculous. There was no outward sign of stress in her friend in fact she looked so calm it was scary.

 

"So when we get to the hospital it could get a little crazy. So I think we best work out our story."

 

 

"What do you mean crazy?"

 

 

"Oliver Queen is about to show up with a woman who is clearly in an abusive relationship."

 

 

"We could say you simply had an accident."

 

 

"Would you believe that felicity?"

 

 

"No, then why can't Oliver just stay in the car."

 

 

"Felicity, we want the crazy. I just don't want people to think Oliver is the abusive one."

 

 

"Ok. Good. So who are you?"

 

 

"Oh, I'm Joanne O'Leary. Abused wife of Michael O'Leary. Friend to Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen. "

 

 

"Right, well that should be easy to remember."

 

 

"We want everything Felicity, bar the truth about who Michael is, to be known. I will talk to the police when they come but I can't stay too long. We will say I came to you for help in escaping my abusive husband and you two are helping me find my way forward. That my arm has been broken and that I need a plaster. I will need Oliver to do a lot of the talking because in my current situation it will hard for me to pull off the typical abused wife persona, despite the fact that it is all true. I don't need anyone figuring out the Jo O'Leary is however, Joanne O'Leary Billionaire because then the crazy may get uncontrollable and that wont help our plans. "

 

 

"So why the broken arm?"

 

 

"I don't want Oliver going into this unarmed, and a plaster cast and sling will be just what we need."

 

 

"And this is how Marcus will know you've gone to Oliver. I guess."

 

 

"precisely. Then we show up. He thinks I've simply gone to the vapid party boy turned CEO and he'll demand my return. I'll come pretending to believe that by hiding behind the Queen name I'll be safe enough to get Lizzie out, and while Michael lets Oliver Queen through the front door. He wont realize who I've really brought with me."

 

 

"They'll want to x-ray that arm you know."

 

 

"I know and trust me they aren't going to like what they find."

 

 

Pulling up to the front of the hospital Felicity couldn't believe the way her heart was pounding in her chest, where as Jo seemed to only getting calmer and colder by the minute. Apparently, it never got old showing up to a hospital with Oliver Queen. People rushed around and Felicity couldn't believe how quickly everything got done. Oliver explained how Jo was an old college friend of Felicity's on the run from her very abusive husband and that he suspected she had a broken arm amongst her other injuries.

 

The doctor's insisted on x-rays and with each one they became more concerned for her friend. 'How is she still alive', 'That Bastard' and even a couple 'Isn't he sweet for helping her out' were being muttered by the nurses walking around and Oliver was doing his best protective big brother impersonation. The police arrived and Jo was asked to make a statement, she spoke to them doing her best at showing some emotion though it was clearly forced. At least Felicity thought it was clear, luckily Lance wasn't one of the officers or he may have suspected something a little closer to the truth.

 

 

"You must stay here miss. " Felicity heard the doctor say, but with more than a few promises on Oliver's behalf they walked out of there 3 hours later. The police had issued a warrant for Michael's arrest and had promised that the 'bastard wouldn't get away with it'. In fact one officer was so passionate about it that Felicity was sure that he had some personal experience. She would look into it later.

They found Diggle and Roy, sitting at the kitchen table grinning. "He got your message!!" was all he said.


End file.
